This is not quite my only (so-called) mountain bike, but it soon will be once I strip the Diamondback. I spent a lot of time researching the viability of a fixed gear offroad bike, spurred initially by Matt Chester's titanium creations. I was all set to order a Chester but the prospect of a long waiting list and financial reality dictated a cheaper option.
This bike has Velocity Dyad 700C rims, IRO sealed hubs (same as Kogswell and On-One's but in silver), Dimension moustache bars, 170mm Middleburn cranks - actually a Truvativ on the left side) and a 60" gear (32/16x30") which is good for pretty much anything. Brakes are XT Vs from about 1997 and levers are Dia Compe 287Vs.
While the left crank was waiting for replacement I had 175 mm cranks on this bike and managed to get it up to 51 Km/h one day when conditions (mine and the road's) were favourable. Even so, it's slightly too lowly geared to keep up with geared roadies on the flat most times. Not that I care.
I've done a four day offroad trip on the Heaphy Track on this bike and it was FINE. Good thing about fixed is that on smoothish, flatish but wiggley as hell tracks, where you need to constantly add speed then scrub it off again, a fixed gear is brilliant. You don't need to brake constantly every few seconds to stop the bike running away with you, you just use your legs. Result? Hands still comfortable ,whereas on a freewheeling bike they'd be cramping up.
On-One's service is not great - if I was doing it all over again I might go for a Surly Karate Monkey instead but with decent, reasonably prices 29er framesets rather thin on the ground cheggars can't be boozers. So I'm told.
No comments:
Post a Comment